Musings on World events from the perspective of a Social and an Economic Liberal.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Why Britain has a problem with Russia

Spreading "interesting" versions about why they killed Litvinenko- the English word, I believe, is "lies"Beating Up British Diplomat in Siberia (Oh! You naughty children)Threats against BP-TNK- the "environmental investigation" was a nicely Stalinist touch for anyone who has actually visited MagnitogorskSending Nashi thugs to break the windows of the British Ambassador's Residence (again)Illegal overflights of Scotland- We did not lock on with weapons radar- though next time, we may actually fireLaunching an internet war against Estonia from the Kremlin servers- then implausibly denying it was anything to do with RussiaIllegal overflights of LithuaniaIllegal trade sanctions against PolandIllegal blockade of EU Embassy in MoscowIllegal sanctions against Georgia (Sakartvelo, obviously, sanctions against Atlanta would be OK)Illegally interning Georgian Citizens (Again Sakartvelo, if you are from Athens,Ga and sing mournfully, then "interning" is probably too good for you)Russian Embassy in Tallinn organising riots (Great Picture, Your Excellency!)Arresting Gary Kasparov and others on trumped up charges so he could not go to meet the EU leaders in SamaraHolding Russia-EU Summit in Samara- I mean, have you been there?Beating Up British Embassy security guardIllegal Overflights of EstoniaPretending that the murder of Anna Politkovskaya was just a mafia hitFailing to solve 98% of murdersKilling another 36 miners in methane blast in Kemorovo because of continuing poor safety standards- then inventing paranoid conspiracy to explain itSupporting Castro- Look, Buena Vista Social Club was, like, so 2001Calling the US and everybody who was not actually a Nazi "Nazis"Not calling the Germans "Nazis" and being obviously friendly to Germany in order to try to split NATOLikening Bush to Hitler (when it should be Warren G. Harding)Final Yukos NonsenseBeating Up Estonian Ambassador- (Nice to attack women,yes? We like)Missile TestMore human rights abuses than you can beat a prisoner withIllegal sanctions against LithuaniaPopulation fell by another 59,000 this month- continuing the fastest peacetime fall in population in human historyCutting off oil deliveries to Lithuanian oil refinery, then claiming to be a "reliable energy partner"Paint attacks on several EU missions in MoscowFailing to address fastest increase in HIV infection in the worldNot cremating Yeltsin (high risk of vapour explosion) but having funeral service in tasteless "Christ the King" Cathedral ReplicaSending Nashi mob to blockade Estonian Embassy, holding diplomats hostage for two daysMore bullying in army than in Soviet times, average of 12 suicides a monthStuffing up the Kosova resolutionSupporting Serbian Radical, (spelt F-a-s-c-i-s-t), PartyAnnouncing pipeline to avoid the "European influenced" South Caucasus (Georgia, again)More pointless deaths in ChechnyaFailing to address the fastest increase in multi-drug resistant TB in the worldIllegal overflights of Norway- I mean, Why? Its not like the Fjords move around a lotSpying on the NATO exercises in the Norwegian Sea a bit obviously (they actually got in the way)Trashing Estonian Consulate in PskovIllegal overflights of LatviaSending their paid agent Gerhard Schroder to Tallinn as envoy (No one met him- HA!)

You have repeatedly said Estonia was integrating its Russian minority. So I was surprised and shocked to see in the Sunday Times, that until a few years ago players were excluded from Estonia's national football team on a quota system purely because of their ethnic background i.e they were Russian-Estonians. Now I don't know whether you would call such a policy racist, but it might help to explain a little the sense of paranoia and estrangement in sections of Estonia's Russian speaking community. I await your view with interest.

Spreading "interesting" versions about why they killed Litvinenko- the English word, I believe, is "lies"

Please explain why Litvinenko was worth killing in the first place, unless you think Putin is some kind of Dr Evil, Spektor, etc.. Lit was a nobody.

Threats against BP-TNK- the "environmental investigation" was a nicely Stalinist touch for anyone who has actually visited Magnitogorsk

I am certain that they are within their right to do this, no matter how hypocritical it seems. The are just selectively applying the laws. In any case, it's their damn gas. If you don't like it, build a nuclear plant or something.

Launching an internet war against Estonia from the Kremlin servers- then implausibly denying it was anything to do with Russia

It's been month, and there's been nothing but hearsay so far. Is Putin responsible for every single thing that happens in Russia? (If I recall that was Politkovskay's book.) Hacktivism is contagious. A lot of youngins in Russia just learned about Estonia, and they don't seem to like it.

Illegally interning Georgian Citizens (Again Sakartvelo, if you are from Athens,Ga and sing mournfully, then "interning" is probably too good for you)

Nothinig illegal, just selective application of the law. Otherwise millions would have to be interred.

Arresting Gary Kasparov and others on trumped up charges so he could not go to meet the EU leaders in Samara

You forgot to mention "world chess chamption", as if it confers any special moral authority whatsoever. Besides, he is a neocon cook.

Politkovskaya was just a mafia hit

Never heard that claim before. Murdered critic does not automatically imply the subject of the criticism is the culprit.

Holding Russia-EU Summit in Samara- I mean, have you been there?

So?

Failing to solve 98% of murdersKilling another 36 miners in methane blast in Kemorovo because of continuing poor safety standards- then inventing paranoid conspiracy to explain it

Oh purrlease, as if you care about Russians. In other news, Britain has a problem with Russia's terrible road toll.

Supporting Castro- Look, Buena Vista Social Club was, like, so 2001

You mean cutting all aid and removing a very useful listening outpost 5 years ago to please bush?

Missile TestSo? Nukes age, nukes must be replaced, no? NATO has such an overwhelming advantage in conventional precision-guided munitions, that together with an ABM system and the very, very accurate SLBMs, a disarming first strike is not out of the question in 5-10 years. Mounting a single warhead per new ICBM is laughable. So they are going back to MIRVing the new missiles to make sure the temptation never arises.

Population fell by another 59,000 this month- continuing the fastest peacetime fall in population in human history

Great news for Western energy companies, no doubt. No natives, no "environmental investigations"!

Cutting off oil deliveries to Lithuanian oil refinery, then claiming to be a "reliable energy partner"

They should have sold it to Russia.

Not cremating Yeltsin (high risk of vapour explosion) but having funeral service in tasteless "Christ the King" Cathedral Replica

Yeltsin was the original Russian democrat and bestest friend the West ever had in Russia. The cathedral, sure is tasteless, but so is much of the new architecture ejeculated on London. Still, I bet in 50 years time, the former will still look better than the latter. Anyway, this is Britain's problem with Russia, how? Seems more like your personal problems, to me.

Stuffing up the Kosova resolution

More like trying to prevent a dangerous precedent. More like refusing to legitimize NATO agression.

Lepidus- no quota so far as I know, and the Estonian FA denies the story- more "desinformatsiya" perhaps?

Nothing is Free- I could respond to your Fisk, but actually it kibnd of answers itself: Litvenenko was nurdered, Rule of law in Russia has broken down, The IP addresses of the first Internet attacks against Estonia were published- they were in the Kremlin!! At the end of the day Russia is now a non democratic anti-liberal state under the control of the heirs of the KGB.

You seem to think the worst of Russia in any situation. Don't you think the Estonians are not above a little spin? After all, the whole Bronze Soldier issue was Ansip's PR project to begin with. The Kremlin IP stuff has already been debunked.http://www.itpro.co.uk/news/114570/ddos-attacks-on-estonia-not-from-kremlin.html

Russia is not democratic, and has never been. Nothing pisses off the Russians more than Western lecturing about the "slide away from democracy". Associating democracy with Yeltsin's era has turned the word into a profanity in Russia.

I am no great fan of Putin. But what is most important is economic growth. Everything else will fall into place after the populace is wealthy enough.

Well, Nothing is free, I certainly hope so. However, the fact is that the failure of the rule of law and the paranoia in Russia makes it very difficult for the country to make any serious kind of economic progress. The natural resources boom just makes the place look like Nigeria.

Lepidus, I can not track down anything official. In fact it is Russian-speakers who favour football, the Estonians follow Basketball with more interest. The only thing that people have said is that some of the best known players were not initially Estonian citizens, but as most of them now are, there is no question of a quota now, if there ever was.

it is a really naive and cynical point of view. putin tries to tell us the same. is it wise to be a putinist or nashist?you seems to be a person who has problem with countries who have got free from the soviet occupation. isn't it time to accept that you can't harm estonians any more?

It seems as the baltic states have found, the only way to avoid criticism from the EU and NATO is to become part of them. Then not only do you not need to improve your civil rights record you can actually get worse.Russia won't benefit from going back to communism but I think socialism would fit them better than American democracy... you know American democracy... that is where big business controls everything.While Britain hides ex communists that have stolen billions from Russia and refuses to let them be returned to Russia to face trial why should Russia even consider sending a Russian to Britain to face a trial that has already be tried by media?Communism does not come into it... Britain has been treating Russia as the enemy for more than 500 years... when it suits they will fight along side them like in WWI and WWII but they are just as happy to fight against them as in 1917-21 and they have little in common. There is no reason for Russia and the west to be friends now anymore than they have in the past. I would doubt it would be possible anyway.